Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in United States of America
United States of America: Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median was 12.1% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
12.1%
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
14th
of 120 countries
All-time high
12.9%
in 1993
All-time low
8.5%
in 2021
Years of data
62
1963–2024
Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in United States of America, 1963–2024
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
United States of America recorded 12.1% for relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in United States of America peaked at 12.9% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 8.5%, in 2021.
That places United States of America 14th out of 120 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in United States of America, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 10.9% | — |
| 1964 | 10.7% | -1.8% |
| 1965 | 10.9% | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 11.4% | +4.6% |
| 1967 | 10.7% | -6.1% |
| 1968 | 10.2% | -4.7% |
| 1969 | 10.4% | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 10.7% | +2.9% |
| 1971 | 10.8% | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 11.4% | +5.6% |
| 1973 | 11.2% | -1.8% |
| 1974 | 10.7% | -4.5% |
| 1975 | 10.8% | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 10.8% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 10.4% | -3.7% |
| 1978 | 10.5% | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 10.1% | -3.8% |
| 1980 | 10.2% | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 10.5% | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 11.7% | +11.4% |
| 1983 | 12.8% | +9.4% |
| 1984 | 12.7% | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 12.3% | -3.1% |
| 1986 | 12.7% | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 12.4% | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 12.2% | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 12.2% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 12.2% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 12.5% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 12.5% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 12.9% | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 12.0% | -7.0% |
| 1995 | 11.3% | -5.8% |
| 1996 | 11.6% | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 11.3% | -2.6% |
| 1998 | 11.7% | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 11.5% | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 11.1% | -3.5% |
| 2001 | 11.4% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 12.0% | +5.3% |
| 2003 | 12.0% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 11.4% | -5.0% |
| 2005 | 11.5% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 11.7% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 12.0% | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 12.1% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 10.9% | -9.9% |
| 2010 | 11.3% | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 11.4% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 11.5% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 11.0% | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 10.7% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 10.7% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 11.4% | +6.5% |
| 2017 | 11.6% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 11.5% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 12.0% | +4.3% |
| 2020 | 10.4% | -13.3% |
| 2021 | 8.5% | -18.3% |
| 2022 | 11.7% | +37.6% |
| 2023 | 11.9% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 12.1% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.7% | 10.2% | 11.4% | 7 |
| 1970s | 10.7% | 10.1% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.0% | 10.2% | 12.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.9% | 11.3% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.6% | 10.9% | 12.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.3% | 10.7% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.9% | 8.5% | 12.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
More poverty & inequality data for United States of America
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 9 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.62 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 8,414 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 24.85 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 24.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in United States of America?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in United States of America was 12.1% in 2024, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median recorded in United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 12.9% in 1993.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.5% in 2021.
- How does United States of America rank for relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median?
- United States of America ranks 14th out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United States of America data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 40% of the median.